One of my longtime readers VERY generously supplied these rare images that they recently acquired showing a visit to Disneyland on August 4, 1955. How do we know the date? Read the back of the photo (and note the Kodak Velox Paper watermark!):
I have assembled these in the order that one would take as they journey to the Park from front to back. I let out a yelp at this one, which is an extremely rare shot of the Disneyland Police Department, which once resided to the left of City Hall:
It was also for Lost Children; wonder if the two tots sitting on the steps were lost or just looking for playmates?
City Hall:
Closing in, we can see a very different type of Disneyland AND the guests that once frequented it. In August 1955, people took time to enjoy life. They dressed up for a special occasion and cherished the friends and family that they were with.
The Bob Gurr designed Carnation Truck shown below. As he recalled years later:
An early sponsor at Disneyland was the Carnation Milk Company. They wanted to have an antique delivery truck parked on Main Street right in front of their Carnation Ice Cream parlor. Walt had me design an antique looking truck which Carnation built right in their own truck maintenance shop in Glendale. I based the antique design on a “modern” 1931 Model A Ford chassis. A friend made a custom radiator emblem for it naming the truck.....Gurrmobile. I used to get a kick out of 'know-it-all' guests who would tell others how they remember the old Gurrmobiles that were built in Los Angeles long ago. For years it served as a photo-op prop in front of the ice cream parlor. When folks would take each other’s photo seated in the cab, behind them would appear the words 'Carnation Milk'…clever publicity.
Strolling down further our August 1955 guest focuses on the Penny Arcade:
On the opposite side of the street is the Swift Market House. Who was the slob who blocked this shot?!?
Another yelp of excitement when I saw this shot of the Coca-Cola Refreshment Corner, taken BEFORE the hotly contested red/white alternating bulbs were installed:
Look Ma - no light bulbs at the entrance!
This appears to be a ho-hum shot of the Horse-Drawn Streetcar in Central Plaza:
…but when you zoom in, you can see the short-lived Central Plaza Bandstand in the background:
A shot of the Sleeping Beauty Castle was a requirement for all guests (not really, but it seems like it):
The second shot was an occasion for a third yell:
While the uncomfortable siblings holding their Disneyland popcorn containers are fun, the exciting part of the shot is this detailed view of two Disneyland News Boys, hawking their wares:
Guests could have their names imprinted on the Disneyland News for a very fun personalized souvenir:
The Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship Restaurant was still being finished up one month after the Park opened, as you can see by the surrounding scaffolding:
Over in Frontierland, the name Davy Crockett was a huge draw:
The Mark Twain yielded excitement from our August 1955 photographer:
Written on the back:
Steam Boat, Disneyland, August 4, 1955. We all took a ride in it - Harris, Harold, and I, John and Sherylann.
Tom Sawyer Island had not been constructed yet, but the land could already boast a waterfall feature:
From the Twain, our guests could see a Disneyland Train leaving the Frontierland Depot as it passed around Fowler’s Harbor:
Over in Tomorrowland, the Flags of the Nations were placed in a star formation in front of the TWA Moonliner:
HUGE shout out to the donor who provided this amazing glimpse of Disneyland from seventy years ago!
See more vintage Disneyland photos at my
main website.
